Georg Andreas Agricola

Who was Georg Andreas Agricola?

Georg Andreas Agricola or Georgio Andrea Agricola or Georg Andreas Bauer or George André Agricola was a German physician and botanist from Regensburg.

He studied at Regensburg, and graduated from University of Halle-Wittenberg, as a doctor of medicine. He practised medicine at Regensburg.

Agricola, who was an able scientist, experimented with plant cuttings and grafting. He provided useful advice on propagating plants from sections of roots or branches — see vegetative propagation. He discovered ways of grafting several species of fruit tree onto one, thereby producing a tree bearing different types of fruit. His book on the subject of grafting enjoyed an enthusiastic reception in the horticultural and botanical world, was promptly translated into Dutch, French and English after its appearance and served as the definitive work on fruit-tree propagation for many decades after.

In 1699, he was elected to the Royal Academy.